Happy Birthday Tim!

Tim's birthday weekend. Nice day - We went to a new restaurant in Pine Hill called Titos. The food was awesome - after hearing mixed reviews - the Mexican food experts had to go for themselves. The pineapple cucumber guacamole, the lamb tacos, chicken Tinga enchiladas, Santaria margaritas - all awesome! They need to work on their salsas, and the queso. Ramikans look thrifty and should never be used for things like rice and beans or salsa for that matter. Otherwise, we will definitely be back. Came home for a little homemade birthday sheet cake and an evening of indigestion. Happy Birthday Tator Tot! 

Love Notes to Mom

Mom, how quickly a year goes by.  After four years of filling every waking moment with you mentally and physically, I still can’t seem to get my bearings without you and don’t know how to fill my time.   I think about you every day.  I have taken to writing letters and cards to you whenever I want to talk to you and put them into my journals.  Just like you used to send me thank you cards all the time that I saved, I save this correspondence to you to remind me of how much I miss you.  Last weekend, I had found this baking recipe of these pastries that I decided to make for Valentines Day. Pastry dough shaped envelopes filled with strawberry jam sealed with a heart also made of pastry.  Tim and I made them last Sunday so we could have them for this weekend.  I know you would really have liked them. So much of my time with you was worrying about what to feed you and making sure you had all your favorite things to eat.  As I made them - I thought of you - the pastries are called Love Notes and that is what I decided to call these letters that I write to you. To remind me of how much I miss and love you always. 

Love Notes

It was cold, snowy and messy outside. We just stayed in and worked on projects and cooked and baked.

Love Notes

INGREDIENTS:

2 refrigerated pie crusts

Flour for rolling out dough

1/2 c. strawberry jam

Egg wash

1/4 c. Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

DIRECTION:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 pie crust. Using a paring knife, cut out long diamond shapes, about 4" on each side. Transfer diamonds to baking sheet. Reroll extra dough to make more diamonds. (You should have enough dough to make about 6.)
• Fill the center of each diamond with a very small dollop of strawberry filling. Fold three of the corners into the center so that the dough looks like an open envelope. Press down lightly on dough to seal. Use a small heart cookie cutter to stamp out remaining dough into hearts, and place a heart in the center of each.
• Brush envelopes with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until envelopes are golden, about 15 minutes.
• Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

I grew up with King Ranch casserole.  Tim had never heard of it and was dying to try it - so this is what we made for the weekend. I hadn't had it in a very long time and it was so delicious. I kept sneaking to the fridge to take secret bites.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

Sauté onion and bell pepper in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and next 7 ingredients; remove from heat.

Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third of tortilla pieces in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.

Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

Basement Remodel 2

The basement is a mess and so much stuff has to be donated and cleaned out.  However, while it's snowing outside - I would like to get a section of framing put up every weekend.  It's really hard to get 4x8 plywood up from the driveway to the basement steps - so I will stick with the framing until May to get the plywood bought and put up.  It doesn't look like much and I am only focusing on minimal framing at the moment. I will go back and insert additional support and strength but the framing needs to be completed so that I can determine any structural issues like boxing in venting.
This is going to be a long term project so have to have lots of patience.

Chicken, Mushroom Bourguignon with Potato Cauliflower Mash

We have been looking for Vegan recipes and then adding a protein lately and we love the recipe options. 

Chicken, Mushroom Bourguignon with Potato Cauliflower Mash

Ingredients
2 tsp oil
2 Boneless chicken breasts cubed and sautéed in garlic powder

1/2 medium onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
10 oz sliced mushrooms mixed or white or cremini
1/4 cup brandy or whiskey or red wine or use broth
3/4 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp tamari for gluten-free
2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 cup water or broth
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed in 3 tbsp water (you can also add 2 tbsp of the mashed potato mixture to thicken)
1 cup of spinach or greens

Potato Mash:
1 large potato cubed small
1 cup cauliflower florets (heaping cup) 1 tbsp olive oil
2 to 4 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp each salt garlic powder
black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the Instant Pot on Saute. Add oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, mushrooms and a good pinch of salt and give them a quick mix. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until golden on some edges. Add a tbsp of water if browning too quickly.
   Saute the chicken and add to veggies.
2. Add the wine and mix well for a few seconds to cook out the alcohol.
3. Add the carrots, celery, thyme and garlic and mix well. Add the soy sauce, tomato paste, 1/3 tsp salt (if using water or unsalted broth) and water/broth and give it a mix. Cancel saute. You can also add in 1 bay leaf and some rosemary for flavor variation at this point.
4. Place the steamer basket on top of the mushroom mixture. Add potato and cauliflower to it.
5. Close the Instant Pot lid. Pressure Cook for 9 to 10 minutes (Manual hi pressure). Add a minute if using
   larger quantity of either mushroom mix or potatoes, or if doubling.
6. Let the pressure release naturally once the cooking is complete. Open the lid and carefully remove the steamer basket.
7. Put the pot on saute, Add cornstarch slurry and give it a mix (you can also add 2 tbsp of the mashed potato mixture to thicken). Add spinach or baby kale and black pepper and mix. Bring the mixture to a boil to thicken, then cancel saute. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
8. Meanwhile. Transfer the steamed potato and cauliflower to a bowl and mash roughly. Add garlic powder, salt, pepper, olive oil, non dairy milk and optionally fresh/dried herbs of choice(eg. thyme, rosemary, chives) and mash well to preferred consistency.
9. Serve the mash layered with the mushroom bourguignon. Garnish with some fresh thyme or basil and black or white pepper.

Notes
Stove top: Follow Steps 1,2,3 in a shallow saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup more broth, Partially cover and cook for 10 to 15 mins. Add cornstarch slurry or some mashed potato and spinach and mix in. Taste and adjust flavor and simmer until saucy.
Make your mashed potatoes, by boiling 12 to 14 mins or as you like. Mash and serve with the stew